AI in Language Education
Guideline 1: Comply with legal
requirements & institutional standards
requirements & institutional standards
AI use in education remains largely untested legal territory. Teachers must exercise caution across three core areas of compliance.
1
Terms of service & age restrictions
Check ToS before use
Some AI tools prohibit free educational use — a paid institutional plan may be required to comply with terms.
Age eligibility matters
Most platforms require users to be 13+ or 18+. Verify learner eligibility or obtain parental/guardian consent.
Ensure informed consent
Students must understand terms in a language they are proficient in before consenting.
Privacy-aware strategies
Prefer tools without logins; use pseudonymous or authorised institutional accounts where possible.
2
Copyright & intellectual property
Attribute AI-generated content
Always credit the original source and describe the methods used to adapt or generate the material.
Beware simplified/translated works
AI remixing copyrighted text or media may breach copyright law, even for limited educational use.
Protect learner IP
Ensure AI platforms do not reuse or claim ownership of students' creative and intellectual work.
Institutional policies needed
Schools should create clear policies to ensure consistent and compliant application of these practices.
3
Accountability & transparency (FATE)
AI systems cannot be held legally, ethically, or professionally accountable. Teachers retain full responsibility for learning outcomes, assessment fairness, and the appropriateness of AI-driven experiences.
Fairness
Accountability
Transparency
Ethics
EU AI ACT 2025
Key prohibitions & requirements
Prohibited: Emotion recognition, real-time facial recognition for monitoring, tools that manipulate student behaviour or build facial recognition databases.
High-risk activities (e.g. automated grading, admissions) require strong human oversight, explainability, bias checks, appeals processes, and full documentation.
Disclosure required: Whenever learners interact with a conversational or generative AI, educators must clearly disclose that the agent is not human.
Teacher competence checklist
COMPETENCE 1
Interpret & explain ToS
- Do I summarise key terms before students use a tool?
- Do learners/guardians understand what they agree to?
COMPETENCE 2
Verify legal compliance
- Can I confirm a tool meets local/institutional standards?
- How do I prevent exposure to harmful content?
COMPETENCE 3
Respect intellectual property
- How do I attribute AI-generated materials?
- How do I protect learners' creative work?
COMPETENCE 4
Maintain accountability
- How do I verify accuracy & fairness of AI grading?
- Can I explain my AI-related decisions to others?
